What sort of effect would this have mathematically? I've been thinking about ways to make physical damage types more relevant (bludgeoning, piercing, slashing) but I find Vulnerable to be too big a swing. Perhaps against heavy armor, bludgeoning damage gets advantage, medium armor piercing, and light/no armor slashing. Obviously this would be a lot more fiddly modifiers to keep track of, but I'm just speculating.
Advantage on Damage Rolls
BookBarbarian
Expert Long Rester
So like the Savage Attacker feat?
I forgot that was a thing since I've never seen anyone take it or talk about it, but yeah. Not just one attack per round though.
BookBarbarian
Expert Long Rester
That is the part that to me makes it not that great a feat. Probably why we don't talk about it.
Indeed, but this also wouldn't be a feat, just a feature of the game. Would it be a dramatic shift in damage? Would it be OP with Sneak Attack, or should it only work on the weapon damage dice? I'm curious what people think.
The Crimson Binome
Hero
If the original attack only rolls one die, then the damage die is not a significant contribution to the damage, so rolling it again does not offer much of a change. While it could potentially turn a 1 into a 12, it's more likely to turn a 3 into a 9, which really only matters at very low levels.
If the original attack rolls multiple dice, and your Advantage would let them re-roll all of those dice and take the new sum, then you're less likely to get even that much change. Rolling several dice will already trend toward an averaging effect.
Personally, it sounds like a lot of work for very little gain, but I also use the average damage option whenever I can get away with it.
If the original attack rolls multiple dice, and your Advantage would let them re-roll all of those dice and take the new sum, then you're less likely to get even that much change. Rolling several dice will already trend toward an averaging effect.
Personally, it sounds like a lot of work for very little gain, but I also use the average damage option whenever I can get away with it.
Blue
Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal
It varies a lot by die size. And even with the larger dice sizes it doesn't make much of a difference at higher levels. I'm afraid that the complexity this adds doesn't add much difference and would likely be better served with a simple +2 dmg against the appropriate type.
This is, assuming it only affects the weapon die. If it affects all dice rolled for the attack it's still meaningless for most characters, but is a huge boost to rogues (sneak attack) and a nice boost to paladins (smite), with a small boost to rangers (hex), weapon-using warlocks (hex) and others who can add damage dice to weapons. But since it's trivial to pull out the right weapon that would be a major buff, throwing off the balance between classes.
This is, assuming it only affects the weapon die. If it affects all dice rolled for the attack it's still meaningless for most characters, but is a huge boost to rogues (sneak attack) and a nice boost to paladins (smite), with a small boost to rangers (hex), weapon-using warlocks (hex) and others who can add damage dice to weapons. But since it's trivial to pull out the right weapon that would be a major buff, throwing off the balance between classes.
toucanbuzz
No rule is inviolate
I went through a brainstorming session as well about whether to bring more realism into D&D by bringing back weapon vs. armor type like AD&D had and giving advantage on damage rolls vs. certain armor types. Ultimately, I concluded the reason it didn't work then and now is because there's too much number tracking and people forget.
With that said, Blue put it succinctly. It's a trivial boost if we're dealing solely with weapons so you're not going to break your game if you introduce it. Personally, I brainstormed because I liked the idea of weapon choice meaning something. As noted, the effect will severely fade over time as players increase in levels. By 10th level, re-rolling a d8 for base weapon damage won't mean much.
With that said, Blue put it succinctly. It's a trivial boost if we're dealing solely with weapons so you're not going to break your game if you introduce it. Personally, I brainstormed because I liked the idea of weapon choice meaning something. As noted, the effect will severely fade over time as players increase in levels. By 10th level, re-rolling a d8 for base weapon damage won't mean much.
ClaytonCross
Kinder reader Inflection wanted
Sorcerer Empowered spell meta magic is very similar letting you re-roll 1 dice per charisma modifier per spell each time you use a sorcerers point to empower the spell and it has the unique ability to stack with other meta magic.
I could see a monk subclass doing the same thing with Ki and a melee weapon but I am not aware of it right now.
Basically like though much like Savage Attacker feat limited use and or cost to the ability makes it week. Mechanically your usually better of taking something else. The average change in damage from re-rolling 1d12 raises from 6.5 to 9 which is basically a lesser version of the Dueling Fighting style since at least that is a guaranteed improvement. That also decreases as you use smaller dice making Dueling Fighting Style even stronger. It also counts on every attack. The easiest way to make melee weapons more effective is to allow the Dueling Fighting Style to work with two handed weapons, off handed weapons, and to increase the number of attacks as per monk flurry of blows, fighters increased extra attacks, or barbarians getting additional attacks when they kill stuff.
The #1 reason casters have an advantage on damage over melee fighter is not the scaling damage but the ability to target damage at select stats instead of AC. Toll the Dead (wisdom save) and lighting lure (strength save) cantrips short Clerics just can attack almost any enemy with a higher chance than AC and if they do attack AC they usually get more dice then a melee fighter doing the same thing... Unless your counting abilities like Divine Smite and Backstab but those aren't using the weapon damage which I believe is your point.
...On the upside its a lot more common to get a +X sword to hit and damage than an item that increase spell DC or hit. Also, Belts of X giant strength can get as high as 29 for a massive +9 to hit and damage with the large number of ranks this makes any Strength melee fighter hard to top at late game assuming your GM ensures you get one as a balance.
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